Haryana under Metamorphosis

SOCIETIES the world over, whatever be their stage of development, from primitive times to modern days, have never been static. Either progressive or retrogressive changes continue to take place. It depends how we see and analyse these changes. It is true about India, particularly the fast changes taking place in the post independence era. There is a visible change at the economical and social level in Haryana too.

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Economic indicators are fast going up but the crucial social indicators are still very bad e.g sex ratio, percentage of malnutrition cases, percentage of anemia, and at birth under weight cases percentage. The old older is changing, giving place to new in several ways-by consent or by persuasion or under pressure. The way we cultivated our land, the manner in which different castes performed their assigned chores and the way we observed our ceremonies-birth, marriage and death—eight decades ago, have all changed. This change needs a critical evaluation at this juncture otherwise it will be too late. Our Industrial and commercial land scape, too, is changing in a dramatic way.

From mere sustainable farming to commercial, post Green Revolution, the agriculture operations are metamorphosing our social and political life. Only a small section got the fruits of green revolution and majority community only contributed hardly but without much gains. Commercial farming which is dependent on new technologies, hybrid seeds and other inputs and machines, though add to the problems which have never been brought in knowledge of the people, it provides better earnings and hence more freedom for farmers.

This freedom also needs to be defined. Freedom to get exploited or freedom to participate equally in democratic process at different levels.The feudal mind set is giving way to contemporary wisdom under the influence of fast-paced industrialization and advanced technologies.Though Capitalism is liberating in the sense it obliterates old feudal value system and brings in competition but it brings in exploitative value system for profits. Manipulation of the market competition by “Three W’s” ie Wine, Women and wealth is the mainstay of value system.

This has lead to degeneration in value system of Fraternity, brotherhood, Equity and equality etc. As the khap leaders assert on the basis of Gotra, the youngsters are moving out and having their way through love or arranged marriages . The capitalism appers to have compromised with these feudal forces and that is why the Govt and its agencies have a cold attitudes towards Khap fatwas. No doubt there is stress and consequent problems and even violence, the fact remains that the old system is under severe stress for transformation.KHap People must understand this phenomenon. The sooner, the better.

Clearly the Haryanvi society is undergoing a metamorphosis at all levels. Here, education is not only enlightening minds and bringing economic gains, it is also bringing in a cultural change. There is a point that this education is doing many other things. The sex ration is very bad in educated people of Haryana. There is no village in Haryana without a school but what is its condition is not our concern, electricitybut for how much time is not our concern, a metalled road link but what is the condition is not our concern and the vast network of professional institutes of all varieties but is there quality education is not our concern.

Improved means of transportation and better and cheaper communication facilities are fast turning the wheels of this change. The arrival of television five decades ago and the radio even earlier than that besides the growth of the print media is spreading information quicker than one could think of decades back. Television and cinema are bringing a social and cultural change it needs to be debated what sort of change it is.Who will bell the cat? Hope The Tribune can do that.